The not-so-essential reading list for the IT leaders of tomorrow

Such books that help you beyond your immediate needs still need to be read

Artificial intelligence is predicted to overtake human intelligence in as less as 20-30 years. Never has there been a more urgent need to develop our humanness. Books are but one aid in that direction

This time, we have an unusual cover story. A magazine creating a recommended list of books is anything but exceptional; a website creating a carousel of such books is less so. But rarely will you find a print magazine—let alone a business/technology one—doing so.

Enough of boasting; the point I am trying to make is that we decided to put it on cover because we wanted to give the message loud and clear: books do matter; yes, they still do. They are still as important as they used to be at any time in imparting learning—not just the quick learning that you are seeking at that moment, but also the learning that you will probably need at some point of time.

Research suggest that our brains are not just becoming duller; they are becoming lazy. We do not even have patience to read a book from cover to cover. Nicholas Carr’s article—Is Google making us stupid that I have quoted in the intro to the book list—is a good read on the subject.

However, Carr wrote it at a time when the scenario of machines taking over was only enjoyed in movies; now, the fear is real. Artificial intelligence is predicted to overtake human intelligence in as less as 20-30 years. Never has there been a more urgent need to develop our humanness. Books are but one aid in that direction.

So, our list of books is not exactly the essential read that most recommenders claim about theirs. It is a list of books that are good to read—to help you build a better perspective about the world around you; the world of technology; the world of business, and so on... They will make you a bit more mature; some will make you a bit more sensitized; some a little more knowledgeable; and yes, some like Sheryl Sandberg’s Option B… even more humane.

You may agree with the selection; may feel some of your favorites were left out. I will love to hear from you. In any case, the idea is to help you in shortlisting. The message is: Such books that help you beyond your immediate needs still need to be read; more so in the age of threatening robots. The list itself, as always, is subjective.